


the labyrinth and the minotaur

by tepidfluff



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Crowned Prince!Bokuto, Eunuch!Akaashi, Non-Linear Narrative, Not Beta Read, Royalty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-21
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:02:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23231398
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tepidfluff/pseuds/tepidfluff
Summary: The palace is a labyrinth to the naive and unsuspecting. They say a minotaur lives and breathes among the servants.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	the labyrinth and the minotaur

**Author's Note:**

> sorry i am not technically capable of describing palaces. 
> 
> also, what up greek mythology deities and copulation with animals.

_morning, few hundred years ago_

Sunlight filters through the windows, basking the walls with tentative hues. Satin feet dance against the hardwood floor in measured beats.

The palace is a labyrinth to the naive and unsuspecting. They say a minotaur lives and breathes among the servants.

After a while, steps come to a halt following a sharp turn. There is elegance in the simple engravings that adorn the metal door knockers. Akaashi briefly glances at the garment on his hand, the embellishments and gold in contrast with his olive skin. Despite carrying it every day, his shoulders still tense against the weight, as if a portion of the world rested on his limbs.

“Your Highness. Are you awake?”. Silence permeates the corridor. It has always been like this. Akaashi clears his throat and calls again.

“Your Highness. Are you awake?”

It usually takes five tries before the eunuch reaches out and opens the doors. But the fourth call prompts something between a grunt and a whine.

“Your Highness, we’re coming in.”

Opening both doors partially reveals a man in white sleeping robe disheveled by silk sheets. He is splayed on the bed, right arm slinging on the bedside. An adjacent low table brims with stacks of paper, scrolls, and little bottles of wine. Akaashi whiffs a smell of the previous night and walks forward.

“Your Highness”

The man grunts despite the sheets. “Later, I want to sleep more.”

“Your Highness. We will clear the bottles.” At his words, deft hands brush past to remove bottles but keeps the stacks of papers and scrolls untouched. Akaashi closed his eyes and slightly turns his head to the side. He was brought to the palace at a very young age, his training had come from the old eunuchs who administered their duty like fine craft. Akaashi embodied the artistry of executing his obligations, refined and well-calculated. The attendants need not a verbal order to leave the room.

Akaashi opens his eyes and places the garments at the nearest serving table. He reaches out to stroke the man’s hair, parsing softly through the gray and the black. The man responds to the touch and lifts his hand to weave their fingers.

“Akaaaashiii…”

“Your Highness. Please stand up and let me help you get dressed.”

The man looks up, his bright golden eyes more vibrant than any ornament in the palace.

“Akaaaaashiiii…”

“What is it, Your Highness?”

“Call me Koutarou.”

“Bokuto-san”

“Akaaaashiiiiii…”

“Please get up Bokuto-san. Your mentor awaits at the pavilion.”

Bokuto brings the hand of the eunuch to his lips, not kissing it yet. He breathes into each crevice, each line that maps the olive skin. Akaashi inhales sharply, feeling too warm in his robes. The morning light permeates deeper inside the chamber.

“The lessons can wait Akaashi. Right now, I wish for you to accompany me.”

“Chance favors a prepared mind. You should get dressed, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto kisses each knuckle as if he’s offering a prayer to the gods. He tugs the man forward, and Akaashi gracefully lets himself fall on silk sheets.

“I always cherish our shared chances.”

“I believe that’s not what the passage meant, Bokuto-san.”

“Hmm. Every passage leads to somewhere. I want them to all lead to you.” Bokuto shifts to rest his head on the eunuch’s lap to gaze fondly at his face. He amuses himself by tracing the veins on Akaashi’s hand and the world waits for them.

Servants are given small graces inside the palace. Akaashi earns the privilege to keep the sight of Bokuto’s undress to himself. The prince extends his hand and gold of finest silk and satin hugs his manly frame. Akaashi runs his hands over the fabric, smoothing the folds against the dips of his collar and the planes of his chest. Thunder roars beneath his palms. His arms encircle Bokuto’s waist to perch the belt. The lock snaps into place, but Akaashi remains still to make sure it won’t fall. He counts in deep breaths, _one, two_ , and releases his hold. The world continues to turn. He runs his palms against the fabric again for good measure.

“You’ve kept your mentor long enough, Your Highness.”

“Perhaps I should inform him to come at a later time.”

“That would be unwise for his age.”

Silence befalls the two.

“If you would be so gracious, I can arrange to come at an earlier time instead.”

“I do not wish for you to lose more sleep than you already do.”

“The change would not be too drastic.”

“I wish you could stay here in my chambers. There is more than enough space to lay with me.”

“That would be deemed highly improper. The doors unlock and walls dissolve to paper-thin with gossip and intrigue. I do not wish for you to be faltered with such misgiving.”

“I never had any penchance for propriety. They can speak for all their lives, but it will prove nothing.”

Bokuto caresses Akaashi’s face. Traces the high cheek. The edges of his solemn eyes. His temple that carries secrets that may never be unraveled. Wisps of black hair that defy meticulous grooming. The room is brightly lit and spares no corner now. Akaashi feels the ball of the palm with quivering lips.

“I’ll come tomorrow before dawn.”

“The space beside me awaits your warmth.”

Thence, their mornings a few hundred years ago start earlier before dawn.

**Author's Note:**

> this is what happens when you're in a lockdown and you start rewatching Korean drama. first up is "love under the moonlight".
> 
> "chance favors a prepared mind" an homage to season 4 episode 11 former karasuno captain.
> 
> My first multi-chapter fic. I know it's short. I intend for each chapter to be snippets, frame-driven not plot-driven. I don't mind if you think it's weird, but spare me of your negative thoughts.


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